She became embroiled in personnel challenges, a thwarted attempt to pack the City Council and a standoff with her local newspaper. Her first months were so contentious and polarizing that critics started talking recall. Her first months also exposed threads that would later become patterns — friends become enemies, enemies become friends and questions get raised about why she fired this person or that person. But the situation calmed, and rather than being recalled, Palin was re-elected. She later acknowledged, "I grew tremendously in my early months as mayor"/Ken Armstrong & Hal Bernton, Seattle Times. More here.

Question: Does Palin's turbulent first year indicate that she's a loose cannon? Or does her re-election indicate that she learns the ropes quickly and makes weaknesses into strengths?

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